quarantine sign on the door. Oh, what a mess! And what would Tilford say to it all?
Suddenly she began to laugh.
Alexa turned and stared at her in wonder.
"Vat is funny, Maris?" She tried to focus her heavy eyes on her sister who was laughing almost hysterically, though very quietly. It had to be either crying or laughing, and she preferred to laugh.
Suddenly she sobered. She must not let herself go like this. Too much depended on her just now.
"I was only thinking how funny it was to have measles and a wedding at the same time."
Alexa gave a faint little giggle.
"Can't I be a fower girl?"
"Not if you have the measles."
"Is I got measles, Maris?"
"Well, maybe. We'll have to ask Mother's nurse to come in and look."
"Has Muvver got a nurse? I wantta see her."
"I'll get her in a minute. You lie still and be a good girl."
"Aw wight! Myrtle Hayes has gotted measles. She had 'em two days. She wasn't in school. Now I got 'em, mebbe! Isn't that funny?"
"Yes, very funny!" said Maris with a bitter little grin.
"When you got measles, you get fowers an' paper dollies sent to you by the class. We sent some to Myrtle Hayes yestidday! Do you s'pose I got measles fum her, makin' her a paper dolly?"
"Oh, no. You have to be with people who have them to get them."
"Well, I was wif her two more yestiddays ago."
"Yes, that was it, likely. Now you lie still till I call the nurse."
Mrs. Mayberry was sleeping nicely and the nurse sitting by with a book. Maris almost envied her. She had no perplexities to settle. She had only to sit there and do her duty as it came to her hour by hour. Oh, of course there were responsibilities, but she was trained to meet them. And there was always the doctor at the end of the telephone to call upon in necessity. While here she was suddenly plunged from having a good time into every kind of a mix-up, things she knew nothing at all about. As if it wasn't enough to be on the eve of her marriage with all sorts of new problems to deal with, without having her mother, the mainstay of the family, taken down so desperately ill, and the baby of the house sick besides! And she had no training for such things, and no one to call upon in her extremity. She was the oldest child. Her father mustn't be more troubled than he was already, or he would break, too. And Merrick was so hotheaded he was no help at all. As for Tilford, he had made it all too evident that none of this was his problem. She couldn't consult him, though of course she would have to tell him pretty soon the latest developments. What would Tilford say to a contagious disease? Well, she would soon find out, for there he was coming up the walk, she saw as she passed the window. His car was parked out in front.
But Maris did not run down to meet him. She followed the nurse back to the sickroom and let Sally deal with the front door. One burden at once was all she could carry. Tilford would have to wait until she was free.
The nurse came in and examined the little girl. She said it looked like measles to her, but the rash wasn't coming out well. She hinted that it might even be scarlet fever.
"You know, there's quite a bit of it around," she said. "Just keep her asleep till the doctor gets here if you can."
But Alexa was restless and wanted her mother, and it was some time before even a story kept her still enough to drop off to sleep.
As soon as Maris was sure the child was sleeping soundly enough not to cry out and disturb their mother, she hurried down to Tilford. He met her with an angry frown.
"It seems to me, Maris, that you are very inconsiderate," he said as he glanced at his watch vexedly. "I have waited exactly sixteen minutes for you this time. And how long was it this morning? My time is valuable, you know. Especially so just now when I am planning to be out of the country for at least six months. Hereafter I do wish you would try to come down promptly."
Maris was very tired, and overwhelmingly worried. The tears were very near to
Suddenly she began to laugh.
Alexa turned and stared at her in wonder.
"Vat is funny, Maris?" She tried to focus her heavy eyes on her sister who was laughing almost hysterically, though very quietly. It had to be either crying or laughing, and she preferred to laugh.
Suddenly she sobered. She must not let herself go like this. Too much depended on her just now.
"I was only thinking how funny it was to have measles and a wedding at the same time."
Alexa gave a faint little giggle.
"Can't I be a fower girl?"
"Not if you have the measles."
"Is I got measles, Maris?"
"Well, maybe. We'll have to ask Mother's nurse to come in and look."
"Has Muvver got a nurse? I wantta see her."
"I'll get her in a minute. You lie still and be a good girl."
"Aw wight! Myrtle Hayes has gotted measles. She had 'em two days. She wasn't in school. Now I got 'em, mebbe! Isn't that funny?"
"Yes, very funny!" said Maris with a bitter little grin.
"When you got measles, you get fowers an' paper dollies sent to you by the class. We sent some to Myrtle Hayes yestidday! Do you s'pose I got measles fum her, makin' her a paper dolly?"
"Oh, no. You have to be with people who have them to get them."
"Well, I was wif her two more yestiddays ago."
"Yes, that was it, likely. Now you lie still till I call the nurse."
Mrs. Mayberry was sleeping nicely and the nurse sitting by with a book. Maris almost envied her. She had no perplexities to settle. She had only to sit there and do her duty as it came to her hour by hour. Oh, of course there were responsibilities, but she was trained to meet them. And there was always the doctor at the end of the telephone to call upon in necessity. While here she was suddenly plunged from having a good time into every kind of a mix-up, things she knew nothing at all about. As if it wasn't enough to be on the eve of her marriage with all sorts of new problems to deal with, without having her mother, the mainstay of the family, taken down so desperately ill, and the baby of the house sick besides! And she had no training for such things, and no one to call upon in her extremity. She was the oldest child. Her father mustn't be more troubled than he was already, or he would break, too. And Merrick was so hotheaded he was no help at all. As for Tilford, he had made it all too evident that none of this was his problem. She couldn't consult him, though of course she would have to tell him pretty soon the latest developments. What would Tilford say to a contagious disease? Well, she would soon find out, for there he was coming up the walk, she saw as she passed the window. His car was parked out in front.
But Maris did not run down to meet him. She followed the nurse back to the sickroom and let Sally deal with the front door. One burden at once was all she could carry. Tilford would have to wait until she was free.
The nurse came in and examined the little girl. She said it looked like measles to her, but the rash wasn't coming out well. She hinted that it might even be scarlet fever.
"You know, there's quite a bit of it around," she said. "Just keep her asleep till the doctor gets here if you can."
But Alexa was restless and wanted her mother, and it was some time before even a story kept her still enough to drop off to sleep.
As soon as Maris was sure the child was sleeping soundly enough not to cry out and disturb their mother, she hurried down to Tilford. He met her with an angry frown.
"It seems to me, Maris, that you are very inconsiderate," he said as he glanced at his watch vexedly. "I have waited exactly sixteen minutes for you this time. And how long was it this morning? My time is valuable, you know. Especially so just now when I am planning to be out of the country for at least six months. Hereafter I do wish you would try to come down promptly."
Maris was very tired, and overwhelmingly worried. The tears were very near to
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